1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to wheeled devices for transporting moderately heavy electrical tools from place to place. The invention uses a type of cart known as a hand truck, which is common in the art. The generic hand truck consists of a frame with a horizontal lower platform which rests on the floor when the hand truck is fully upright, two wheels, one on either side of the platform, and a vertical or near-vertical portion of the frame, against which the load rests. At the upper portion of the frame, one or two handles are shaped to allow the operator to tilt, push and guide the hand truck. A load is placed on the lower horizontal platform, and the operator then tilts the hand truck to raise the forward portion of the platform from the floor, and steers the hand truck with its load to the desired location. The present invention relates to the design of the lower horizontal platform and an additional locking device adapted to secure a specific load.
In certain factories, and specifically in fiber and fabric plants, it is common to need to make repairs to large machines. In order to do so, technicians often need specialized repair tools at the repair site. One of the more common tools is a magnetic base portable drill press. This tool stands 1 to 11/2 meters in height, and weighs approximately 35 kilograms. There are two centers of mass, one in the base and the other larger mass in the power head, which is as much as a meter above the base. In many factories, it is carded by hand from its storage site to the repair location. This is awkward, dangerous and onerous. On occasion, hand trucks are used to transport the tool, but because of its shape and the location of the mass, it is difficult to retain the drill on a simple flat platform. The operator transporting the drill must hold it in place by hand or tie it on with bits of rope, wire or strapping. The present invention overcomes this difficulty by providing an adjustable locking device which secures the heavy power head portion of the drill to the truck.
A hand truck adapted to accept the drill and secure it to the hand truck with a quick and simple locking device will be readily accepted by the industry.
2. Background of the Art
There are a number of devices on the market for transporting moderate to heavy loads by hand. None of these are adapted for the specific load intended for the instant invention. The basic design of the two-wheeled hand truck has been known in the art for centuries. Many variations on the hand truck have been made especially adapted for retaining and transporting certain items. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,625,949 to Walker discloses a hand truck of the common type adapted to transport oxygen and fuel tank cylinders and associated tools and equipment used in welding. In this invention, the tanks are secured to a base and the upright frame with locking devices. The present invention uses a different locking device adapted to the design and shape of the drill intended to be transported, and adds a device on the lower horizontal platform into which the base of the drill is placed for additional security. U.S. Pat. No. 4,753,445 to Ferrare shows a hand truck for transporting a single pressurized gas cylinder, which includes two bands shaped to receive a cylinder. The present invention employs a solid base with a device to receive the base of the drill. Other patents disclose variations on the shape and construction of the basic hand truck.